Bantry Parish Blog

BANTRY PARISH NEWSLETTER

The  twenty First Sunday in ordinary time  

                                  Sunday August 25^th 2013    

The Deep End – Curiouser & Curiouser

A narrow door, a locker door, futile knocking and an unsympathetic doorkeeper – it’s almost as if the master in today’s Gospel story wants to keep people out!

In the opening chapter of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice has a bit of bother with doors. The doors in the hall in which she find herself are all locked. When she finds a key, it doesn’t fit the locks. When she manages to find a door to match the key, she herself won’t fit through; the doorway is too narrow.

‘Alice opened the door & found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get  her head through the doorway.’

There is a similar predicament for those in Jesus’ story. They knock on the door and expect to be admitted, but it is not that simple. They are too late – the door has been locked and the master turns them away.

What does Jesus mean when he says we must strive to ‘enter by the narrow door’? Is it impossible to enter the kingdom of God? The narrow door is Jesus. But it is not enough to have encountered him and heard his teachings. One must have walked the narrow path of the Gospel.

Triona Doherty (email: trionad@gmail.com)

Calendar: Mass Times and Intentions

Mon. 26^th August:  21^st Week in Ordinary Time:

                     Bantry:                    10am             Mary Davitt – Kent

                    

Tues. 27^th August: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time: St. Monica, 332-87, converted her pagan husband, Patricius, to the faith,

and by her prayers brought her son St. Augustine to Christianity and a moral life, Patron saint of mothers.

                     Bantry:                    10.00am        Tom Murphy – Donemark – Ist Anniversary

                                                    

Wed. 28^th  August: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time: St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church. 354-430. Bishop of Hippo, where he lived with a community until his death. His theological influence has been most significant in the Church especially on the understanding of God’s grace. Patron of theologians.

                     Bantry                     10.00am        Con & Eileen O’Callaghan – Bantry Bay Hotel

Hospital:                5.30pm         Bridie & Jackie Moloney - Dromclough

There will be Mass at 7.00pm at the Cillineach Graveyard near the Hospital on Wednesday 28^th August

Thurs 29^th August: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time:. The Passion of St. John the Baptist.

Bantry:                    10.00am        Mary & Michael Murnane - Scart

                    

Friday 30^th August: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time. St. Fiacre was an Irishman who went abroad to seek a hermitage. He

passed through Normandy & eventually met Faro, who was a great patron of Irish pilgrims at Meaux.

Bantry:                    10am             Timothy & Kathleen Daly - Dromore

Kealkil:                    7.30pm         James C. O’Connor - Kealkil

Sat. 31^st August: 20^th Week in Ordinary Time: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne was of Irish descent & was a monk of Iona.

When Oswald the exiled king of Northumbria who had fled for refuge to Iona, return to his throne in 634, he invited Aidan

to come to reconvert his people. Aidan made his headquarters at Lindisfarne. With the aid of the King as interpreter he was

very successful in his mission. He died in 651

                     Hospital                   10am             Jim Cadogan – Reenrour East

                     Bantry:                    6.15pm         Elizabeth & James Flynn – Durrus

                     Bantry:                   7.00pm         Mass in Polish

Sun. 1^st September: 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time:

                     Bantry:                         9am           Hannie Murnane - Letterlickey

                     Coomhola:                   10am         Maura Holland – Kealanine, Coomhola

                     Kealkil:                        11am         The Hourihan Family - Carriganass

                     Bantry:                        12noon     People of the Parish

Offertory Collection: Bantry Church weekend of 17^th/18^th  August: €2138

Sept. Church Renovation Special Collection will take place on the weekend of  31^st Aug/1^st September.

Bantry Parish Assembly is organising a parish pilgrimage to Gougane Barra to coincide with the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage on the 29th September. It is envisaged that we would travel as a parish group and attend the cermonies which begin at 2pm. With this in mind a bus has been organised and will leave the Square at 12.45pm picking people up at Pearsons Bridge at 1pm and Kealkil at 1.15pm. If anybody is interested in reserving a seat on this bus or would like more information please contact Joan 087 9179726, Sean 086 1922900 or Angela at 027 51246. The cost is €5.00. People are of course free to travel independently and join the group there. It is hoped that we would also re-ennact the tradition of walking in from the main road reciting the rosary this walk takes about 30minutes and we would hope to meet at Gougane cross at 1.30pm. For the more ambitous walkers a group will leave Carriganass Castle earlier in the day at 9am led by Pat O'Mahony and anybody is welcome to join them. Anybody interested should contact Pat at 085 1740595 for further information and to book a place on this 18km Class A (Difficult) walk".

Catechism of the Catholic Church – A series of adult studies – September to December 2013 at Myross Wood Retreat Centre, Leap, Co. Cork. 

Beginning with an introduction on Tuesday Sept. 3^rd (7.30-930pm). Very Rev. Fr. Michael Curran MSC, Spiritual Director. All welcome. For details contact 028-33118 

 Bantry Credit Union Third-Level Education Scholarship Scheme: Each year Bantry Credit Union awards one Third-Level Education Scholarship, which is worth up to €6,000 over four years. The closing date for receipt of application forms for the 2013 award is Tuesday, 27 August. Further details and application forms are available from the credit union office.

Recent Parish Baptisms:

Charlie Daniel Comerford

(Ballylickey, Bantry)

Elsa Nell Tobin

(Reenmeen, East, Glengarriff)

We welcome them into our Christian Community

Bantry Basketball Club: Registration Evening

New Season 2013-2014 starting September. Registration at the Boy’s Club on:

Friday, 30^th August, 6pm-7pm.

Reg. fees: 1st child: €50, 2nd child: €40, 3rd child: €30. 

St. Finbarr’s Boys’ National School :The school will re-open for pupils on Monday September 2^nd. The School Office will be open on Thursday 29^th & Friday 30^th August for sale of school jumpers from 9 am– 12.00 noon. All queries to 087 3657821

Mealagh   Valley    Community   Alert   Group

Mealagh   Valley    Community   Alert   Group   thanks most sincerely  all  who helped  with  & contributed    to  Our  Annual   Church   Gate   Collection  held  in Bantry  on  August   17^th/18th.     £1,012.69 was collected.  Any   resident in Mealagh  Valley   who think  that they qualify  for a Personal  Alarm System   should contact the Group  Chairman  on  086-2307693  or  any  Group   Member.

Bingo  will be  held at Mealagh  Valley  Community  Hall  on Thursday  August  29th.   at   8.30P.M.  Jackpot on the night.  Bus  leaves  Durrus  Village  at  7.45P.M.  &  Bantry  at  8.05P.M..     A  45   Card Drive  will  take  place at  The  Centre on this  Saturday  August  24th.   at 9.30P.M.  Sharp.     Our  Centre  Management    greatly appreciate  all who support  us on an ongoing basis.

Bingo at The Bridge Bar, Pearson's Bridge every Monday night @ 8.30pm in Aid of BANTRY LIFEBOAT. Jackpot €400 this Monday August 26th.

Coomhola National School will

re open on Wed. 28th August 

 http://coomholans.ie/

Autumn Stations

Sat.31^st August @ 11am – Niall & Mary Healy – Corran, Kealanine, Coomhola, Coooleenleman.

Sat. 14^th Sept. @ 11am – Denis & Catherine O’Sullivan – Ballinamought, Cousane, Clouneycarney, Maughnaclea

Fri. 20^th Sept. @ 8pm – Helen Triggs  – Borlin

Sat. 28^th September @ 11am– Danny & Maureen Murnane – Gorteen, Beach, Cappanaloha, Dromreig, Dunbittern, Shanavalla, Dromacusane, Dromcloch, Ardihoulihane, Aghaghogeen.

We ask those parishioners who are thinking of hosting the Autumn Stations this year to please contact the parish office (56398) 

Viatores Christi 

For those interested in overseas volunteering, Viatores Christi lay missionary association is currently recruiting and will hold an information and recruitment session on Saturday 31^st August at 2.30pm in the SMA Parish Centre, Wilton. Tel. 01-868 9986 info@viatoreschristi.com